Phoenix, AZ— Matt Chapman made headlines with an inside-the-park home run, while Casey Schmitt and Michael Conforto each blasted solo shots as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 on Monday night, complicating Arizona’s playoff hopes.
With the loss, the Diamondbacks (87-70) fell further in the National League wild card race, now holding a slim 1.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves (85-71) for the final wild card spot. The San Diego Padres (90-66) and New York Mets (87-69) occupy the top two positions. A crucial three-game series between the Mets and Braves begins on Tuesday in Atlanta.
“We’ve been pushing hard all season,” said D-backs center fielder Jake McCarthy. “It’s just part of the game. We’ll bounce back tomorrow.”
While San Francisco is out of playoff contention, they have been a thorn in the side of teams vying for postseason spots. The Giants boast a 6-1 record against playoff contenders like the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, and Diamondbacks over the past week.
The Diamondbacks faced another frustrating setback after blowing an 8-0 lead on Sunday, ultimately losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 10-9.
“Today, we got beat,” said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo. “Their pitcher made quality pitches, and we just couldn’t generate our usual offense.”
Chapman’s inside-the-park homer came in the third inning, giving the Giants a 3-1 lead. He hit a line drive to the deep left-center field, where McCarthy’s leap fell short. Left fielder Pavin Smith had to chase down the carom, and Chapman sprinted home, beating the relay throw from Geraldo Perdomo. He became the first Giants player to hit an inside-the-park homer since Denard Span in 2017.
“Chapman is really stepping up lately,” Giants manager Bob Melvin noted. “He’s showing the kind of play we expect going forward.”
Schmitt’s solo homer in the fourth extended the lead to 4-2, and Conforto followed with another long ball in the fifth to make it 5-2. Chapman later added a run-scoring triple in the seventh, smashing a ball off the outfield wall and finishing the night with three RBIs.
D-backs pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4) struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks.
“When you miss your spots, you pay for it, no matter who you’re facing,” Rodriguez said.
Christian Walker brought the D-backs within one run with an RBI double in the fourth, and Joc Pederson also added an RBI double for Arizona.
Giants right-hander Hayden Birdsong (5-5) limited the Diamondbacks to two runs over five innings, while Ryan Walker pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save of the season.
UP NEXT:
The D-backs send RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-9, 4.66) to the HILL against Giants RHP Logan Webb (12-10, 3.58).
